Phase adjuster



July L 1942.

H. o. PETERsoN 2,288,740

PHASE ADJUSTER Filed Oct. 20, 1938 WA VE ENERGY /NPUT Q FW Q lLl V i c .t\o.\ 999519999 va h) L A L -il- T' 1 Ill' HHH' f" HHH' I; b I- u 5w@ QT K @o An .A b gn'lv'n' l QAAS-A vv vv l v v \f \l 1o rl* l Il S 'A'.'lvg' 'n'n'A'A'A'A L() tg L?. tg' v c5 N3 :in E; F. QQ uN) Avlvz vvvvvvvvvvvv l v m v f :llllllr in INVENTOR.

/r'QLD 0. PETERSON BY gft/WW A TTORN E Y.

Patented July 7, 1942 PHASE ADJUSTER Harold 0. Peterson, Riverhead, N.

Y., assigner to Tilo Corporation oi' America, a corporation of Application October 20, 1938, Serial No. 238,021

Claims.

This application concerns a new and improved method of and means for adjusting the phase of wave energy.

In the past, phase adiusters have been of two general types in which the output of variable phase was 4derived either by adjusting an inductance or a capacity. In the device herein described phase adjustment of wave energy through a range of 360 degrees is accomplished by the control of the bias of vacuum tubes.

In describing my invention.l in detail reference will be made to the attached drawing wherein is shown diagrammatically an embodiment of my new and improved phase adjuster.

'I'he operation of this device will be readily understood from the accompanying diagram. The incoming wave energy which may be of any type or frequency appears in tuned circuit |--2. from which it is supplied to the grids l and l of vacuum tubes 3 and l co-phasially. The output of vacuum. tube 3 appears across condenser 1 and is consequently rotated 90 degrees in phase with respect to the voltage at grid l. 'I'he output of vacuum tube l appears across a resistance load i0 and has a phase substantially the same as the phase on the grid l and consequently has a phase practically 90 degrees from the phase of the voltage appearing across condenser 1. Since this device is designed to cover a considerable band of frequency, condenser 1 is adjustable in such a manner that the magnitude of the voltage across condenser 'I is, for all frequencies, sub stantially the same as the magnitude of the voltage appearing across resistance load Il. The value of condenser 1 can be adjusted through the same control mechanism CM used for the adjustment of condenser 2, and if necessary the plates of condenser 'I or of condenser 2 can be so shaped that the proper relationship exists between operating frequency, that is, the resonance frequency of the circuit formed by inductance i and condenser 2 and the capacitance of condenser 1. l

The voltage across condenser 1 is impressed co-phasially upon the grids l2 and I4 of vacuum tubes I3 and Il and the voltage across resistance I0 is impressed co-phasially upon the grids Il end zo of vacuum tubes u and 2|. The output of vacuum tubes I3 and l5 is induced into a secondary circuit S of a transformer 24 from a split primary circuit P. Similarly the output of tubes I9 and 2| is induced from a split primary P' of a transformer 26 into its secondary S. With respect to the secondary circuit of transformer 2l, the voltage induced by current in the plate circuit of vacuum tube I3 will be 180 degrees from the phase of the voltage induced by current in the plate circuit of vacuum tube i5. A similar relationship exists in transformer 28 and vacuum tubes I9 and 2|. Moreover, the phases of the y,sultant voltage appearing at the output Il which is a combination of the secondary voltages of transformers 2l and 2l which may be connected either in series or in parallel by switch ll.

One way in which the relative transconduct-l ances of these four tubes may be controlled is shcwn in the diagram wherein four blades may be simultaneously adjusted on four potentiometers. These four simultaneously adjusted potentiometer output blades are represented at Il, 4|, I2 and ll of the circuit diagram. The four potentiometers may, for instance, be arranged on complete circles of 360 degrees so that the output blades can be rotated around continuously in either direction. Thus, for instance. the potentiometer corresponding to output blade 4I would extend continuously around the circumference of a circle in which the distance from l2 to 5J is degrees; from Il to Il, 90 degrees; and from I4 to Il, 180 degrees. Likewise. from Il to Il is 90 degrees; I1 to Il, 90 degrees; Il to Il, 90 degrees; Il to Il, 90 degrees. From Il to li is degrees: from OI to 4| is 90 degrees; and from IB to l2 is 90 degrees. From I3 to N is 90 degrees: Il to tl is 180 degrees; and U5 to it is 90 degrees.

It will be noted that as blade Il is advanced toward midpoint the grid bias of vacuum tube l I becomes less negative and therefore the transconductance of this tube increases to a maximum at Il and then as it is further advanced it will decrease to a minimum at I4 which minimum will be maintained for the remainder of the distance 54 to l5. A similar action takes place in the other three potentiometers,

It will also be noted that for 180 degrees of rotation on any one of the potentiometers, the transconductance of the corresponding vacuum tube will be held at its minimum value. 'I'hus for any adjustment of the four blades 40, Il, 42, 4I, substantial output is being derived from only two of the four output tubes one of which will be either vacuum tube Il or I5 and the other will be either vacuum tube is or 2|. 'I'hus it will be obvious to one familiar with the art that the phase of the resultant appearing in the output can be adjusted to any value of phase throughout a complete range of 360 degrees. By proper shaping of the resistanceelements of the potentiometers, the amplitude of the output voltage can be made substantially constant irrespective of phase adjustment and it can be arranged to have the phase angle correspond to definite settings of the control arms 40, 4|, 42 and 43.

By continuously rotating the control blades 40, 4I, 42 and 43 an output of a different frequency can be produced.

Instead of mechanical control of the voltage applied to grids of tubes I3, I5, I9 and 2| ,vacuum tube modulators could be used thus making it possible to use this type of circuit for either phase modulation or frequency modulation.

Plate voltage is applied to vacuum tube 3 through a high frequency choke coil RFC which may have a high value of capacitive reactarice for the frequencies at which the device is operated. A series resistance 8 is indicated in the plate circuit of va-cuum tube 3 but this resistance may be left out of the circuit without changing the theory of operation, Condensers C are radio frequency by-pass condensers. Condensers CC are coupling condensers. Resistance 'IB is a series impedance which will help smooth out the control voltage applied to vacuum tube I3. Resistances 18, 'I9 and 8U serve the same purpose for tubes I I9 and 2I.

I claim: Y

1. In a system for producing alternating voltage of a substantially xed phase which may be adjusted throughra range of 360 degrees, pairs of electron discharge devices each having input electrodes and output electrodes, means for impressing alternating current of a rst phase on the input electrodes of a first pair of said devices, means for impressing alternating current of a second and different phase on the input electrodes of a second pair of said devices, an output circuit combining the output currents of the devices of said rst pair of devices in phase opposition, an output circuit combining the output currents of the devices of said second pair of devices in phase opposition, a combining circuit coupled to both of said output circuits, direct current circuit means connected with a control electrode in each of said devices, direct current potential adjusting means in each circuit for adjusting .the transconductance of each device of said rst and second pairs of devices, and a unicontrol means common to all of said adjusting means for relating said adjusting means so that the square of the diierence between the transconductances of the devices of said first pair of devices plus the square of the difference between l the transconductances of the devices of said second pair of devices is a constant whereby voltages oi" the 'desired phase and of an amplitude which is substantially constant for all phases may be obtained in said combining circuit by manipulation of said/uni-control means.

2. In a system torir producing alternating voltage of a substantially fixed phase which may be adjusted through a range of 360 degrees, pairs of electron v"discharge devices each having input electrodes and output electrodes, means for impressing alternating current of a first phase on the input electrodes of a rst pair of said devices, means for impressing alternating current of a second and diierent phase on the-input electrodes of a second pair of said devices, an output circuit combining the output currents oi' the devices of said rst pair of devices in phase opposition, an output circuit combining the output currents of the devices of said second pair of devices in phase opposition, a combining circuit coupled to both of said output circuits, direct current circuit means connected with a control electrode in each of said devices, direct current potential adjusting means in each circuit for adjusting the transconductance of each device of said first and second pairs of devices, and a uni-control means common to all of said adjusting means for relating said adjusting means whereby voltages of the desired phase may be obtained in saidl combining circuit by manipulation of said uni-control means.

3. In a system for adjusting the phase of single phase oscillating voltages, pairs of coupling tubes, means for applying said single phase oscillating voltages in phase to a pair of said coupling tubes, means Vfor displacing the phase of said single phase oscillating voltages and applying the oscillations of displaced voltages in phase-to a second pair of said coupling tubes, a voltage combining circuit wherein a single phase resultant is produced, coupled with all of the tubes of said pairs of coupling tubes, direct current biasing means connected to each tube for relatively varying the transconductance of the tubes of the pairs of coupling tubes to vary the amplitude of the outputs thereof and consequently vary the phase of the single phase resultant, and a single control means for all of said biasing means for relating said biasing means so that the amplitude of said resultant is substantially constant irrespective of its phase.

4. In a system for adjusting the phase of single phase oscillating voltages, pairs of coupling tubes, means for applying said single phase oscillating voltages in phase to a pair of said coupling tubes, means for displacing the phase of said single phase oscillating voltages and applying the voltages of displaced phases in phase to a second pair of said coupling tubes, a combining circuit coupling the outputs of said pairs of coupling tubes in series, direct current circuit means for each tube, direct current potential adjusting means in each direct current circuit for relatively Varying the transconductance of the pairs of coupling tubes to vary the amplitude of the output of each tube and consequently vary the phase of the single phase resultant voltage in said combining circuit, and a uni-control means `for all of said adjusting means.

5. In a system for producing alternating voltage of a substantially fixed phase which may be adjusted through a range of 360 degrees, pairs of electron discharge devices each having input electrodes and output electrodes, means for impressing alternating current of a first phase on the input electrodes of a rst pair of said devices, means for impressing alternating current of a second and different phase on the input electrodes of a second pair of said devices, an output circuit combining the output currents of all of the devices, direct current circuit means connected with a control electrode in each of said devices, direct current potentialvadjusting means in each circuit for adjusting the transconductance of each device of said first and second pairs of devices, and a uni-control means common to all of said adjusting means for relating said adjusting means so that the square of the difference between the transconductances of the devices of said first pair of devices plus the square of the diierence between the transconductances of the devices of said second pair of devices isV a constant whereby voltages of the desired phase and of an amplitude which is substantially constant for all phases may be obtained in said combining circuit by manipulation of said uni-control means.

HAROLD O. PETERSON. 

